A New Watchdog for CSIS?

In an op-ed piece in today's Globe & Mail, Maher Arar calls for more effective oversight of CSIS in the wake of yet another case of Abusfian Abdelrazik. It is worth noting that the Globe was force to close of comments on its site regarding Arars piece because of the abusive nature of comments being made

Abdelrazik, a dual Sudanese-Canadian citizen has been held in a Sudanese jail for years as a suspected terrorist despite being cleared by both Sudan and Canada and despite a judges order to return him here. Arar argues that what this and many other similar cases indicate is a need for vastly more effective oversight of the activities of CSIS as well as the RCMP. It is telling that a judicial inquiry into his own case made such recommendations in 2006 that have yet to be acted upon.

As Arar argues

Canadians deserve to know why so many of this country's citizens, all of Muslim background, have been imprisoned and tortured abroad. Human-rights organizations, activists and national-security experts have been calling for the current government to establish the credible oversight agency that was recommended by Judge O'Connor several years ago. Their calls have landed on deaf ears.

How many more victims will it take before our government realizes that it needs to act? If the government had established this agency, Mr. Abdelrazik could launch a complaint upon his return. The time required for him to get answers and justice would be much shorter. For taxpayers, it would be a much cheaper alternative than a full-blown federal inquiry.

The Harper government has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to score cheap political points and acquiesce to every American demand rather than protect the rights of the citizens it represents. It is one more reason that it is time for this government to go.